Team Canada won its first game of the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in men’s rugby sevens at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on Friday. This is a last-chance tournament where only the winner of the 11-team tournament will advance to the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris.
In a convincing win, Canada defeated Uganda 31-12. In total, Team Canada scored five tries. The players who got on the scoreboard were Matthew Oworu of Calgary, Alberta (two tries), Ethan Hager of Brantford, Ontario (one try), Phil Berna of Vancouver, British Columbia (one try) and Cooper Coats of Halifax, Nova Scotia (one try). Coats also scored three conversions.
Team Canada is tied for first place with Great Britain in Group B. In the other Group B game, Great Britain beat China 35-19. In Saturday’s games, Canada will play China at 4:00 a.m. MT and Great Britain at 9:30 a.m. MT.
The top eight teams from the group stage will advance to the quarter-finals on Sunday. Other teams that won their first match on Friday were South Africa, who beat Mexico 44-0, Chile, who beat Tonga 14-5, and Spain, who beat Brazil 38-0. Papua New Guinea withdrew before the start of the tournament on both the men’s and women’s sides because they did not have their required travel documents in accordance with World Rugby.
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